The Downfall of Bilbo Baggins
by Big Friendly Walrus
Summary: What if Sauron never resurfaced, and the ring didn’t have to be destroyed? What if Bilbo kept it, and began a descent similar to that of Gollum’s? Would there be any hope? Or would he be changed forever?


The Downfall of Bilbo Baggins  
A/N: This a 'what if' scenario: What if Sauron never resurfaced, and the ring didn't have to be destroyed? What if Bilbo kept it, and began a descent similar to that of Gollum's? Would there be any hope? Or would he be changed forever?  
  
Bilbo sat in his room, looking at the ring he had won from Gollum's riddling game. Of course, he hadn't won it at all. He had cheated with a false riddle that Gollum had no way of knowing.  
  
Of course, unbeknownst to Bilbo, the ring had a habit of being acquired unfairly. Smeagol, its previous owner, had killed his cousin Deagol. Smeagol then slowly changed into Gollum. Did Bilbo know of the ring's sinister power as he held it? No. Did he know of its effects? No.  
  
Bilbo touched the ring, feeling its cold surface with his fingers.  
  
"My precious..." He moaned softly. He slipped it over, and became invisible. Bilbo felt a sense of power. It was as if he didn't have a care in the world. As if he could do anything he wanted! He took it off, and suddenly he felt quite weary.  
  
"Maybe...I'll just stay...right here." Bilbo groaned and fell backwards onto his bed.  
  
SOME MONTHS LATER  
  
"Gandalf, Gandalf!" Frodo cried.  
  
"What's the matter?" Asked Gandalf. He straightened his crooked hat.  
  
"Its Bilbo! He won't come out of his room! In fact, he hasn't for quite some time now."  
  
It was Bilbo's Eleventy-First Birthday Party. Gandalf was trying to set up the festivities when the time came to celebrate.  
  
"Not at all?" Gandalf asked. "Not even for meals?"  
  
"No! I tried knocking but he always tells me to go away."  
  
"Bilbo has always been a private fellow." Gandalf said. His fingers trembled as he lit his pipe, betraying his calm voice. "I-I'm sure it's perfectly natural."  
  
Gandalf called in Samwise, who was out getting the supplies ready for the big party. "You might want to put your supplies away if I do not come back after a while."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Gandalf didn't answer.  
  
Hiding behind a thick growth of shrubbery, two glowing eyes glared at the wizard and the hobbits. Had they looked, they would have seen the bushes being pushed aside by two thin arms, and the eyes staring with cold malice.  
  
Gandalf went inside Bilbo's house and knocked on the door to his room.  
  
"Go away!" Bilbo's voice came back, shrill and angry.  
  
Gandalf coughed. "Ahem, this is Gandalf. Surely you want to see your old friend again?"  
  
"I have everything I need right here."  
  
"And what do you have?" Gandalf asked. "Is it a ring? Gollum's ring?"  
  
No answer.  
  
"Do you know that Gollum was a hobbit once? Do you think that he became that way after eating the wrong fish? No. It was that ring, Bilbo, and if you don't let me in right now the same thing will happen to you!"  
  
No answer.  
  
"Let me in!" Gandalf commanded.  
  
"No!" The voice said. "We is fine!"  
  
"'We'?" Gandalf said. "Bilbo...?"  
  
Silence.  
  
Frodo and Sam cautiously walked up to Gandalf.  
  
"Is...he coming out?"  
  
"No, and that's what I'm afraid of." Gandalf said, removing his hat. "I'm going in there whether he likes it or not."  
  
Gandalf uttered an incantation and the door flew open.  
  
Frodo let out a gasp of horror.  
  
Bilbo looked like what Smeagol must've looked like while he was in the last stages before turning into Gollum. He was still fat, some things would never change, but it looked loose and sagging. His hair was noticeably thinner, and his eyes bulged out his sockets. He held the ring in his hand, whispering sweet nothings into its cold expressionless face.  
  
"My dear Bilbo!" Said Gandalf. "What has happened to you?"  
  
"N-nothing." Stammered Bilbo, and for a split second he looked like the fat lazy Hobbit that Gandalf had come to love. "Oh, Gandalf! It huurrrrrtsssss! It hurts so bad, its like I am being eaten up from the inside!"  
  
"Just give me the ring, and you shall be fine." Gandalf said.  
  
"NO!" Bilbo said. "We loves it, yesss..."  
  
"Sam?" Said Gandalf. "Try to distract him."  
  
"What for?" Said Sam.  
  
"I need him unaware of what I am going to do." Said Gandalf. "Its very important."  
  
Sam was never smart; like Bilbo he was fat, lazy and cruel to others not as fortunate as him. In a possible future, he would've been downright nasty to sweet, innocent Gollum when Gollum tried to help.  
  
Sam rushed at Bilbo and jumped on the creature.  
  
"Getsss off me!" Squealed Bilbo.  
  
"Never!" Cried Sam. "Not until you give back the ring!"  
  
Bilbo's hands reached around Sam's neck and began to squeeze.  
  
"Hak!" Sam gurgled. Bilbo jumped and rolled on top of Sam, giving him the upper hand.  
  
"Sam!" Cried Frodo. He beat desperately at Bilbo. Bilbo grinned and pushed aside Frodo. Then he snapped Sam's neck. There was a sound like the snapping of a brittle tree branch. Sam's eyes bulged out and then the light in them faded away.  
  
"Stand back, or I shall do my worse." Warned Gandalf. Bilbo hissed and lunged at the wizard. He clawed at Gandalf's eyes.  
  
"Gaaaaah!" Gandalf cried. Blood streamed under his eyes. "Begone!"  
  
Bilbo was thrown back and onto the grass outside.  
  
Frodo ran out.  
  
"Bilbo!" He said to the creature that was once his friend. "Give me the ring! It'll be alright!"  
  
Bilbo looked at Frodo, his eyes wide and frightened. Did he understand? Frodo would not know, for there was a rustling in the bushes. The creature that could only be Gollum leapt on the Hobbit.  
  
"Where isss it?" It hissed, its breath warm and hot on Bilbo's face. "Where'sss my preciouss? We wants it, yes we do!"  
  
"I won it fair and square!" Choked Bilbo.  
  
"You're a liar!" Gollum hissed. He punched Bilbo.  
  
"No!" Bilbo sobbed.  
  
"And a thief!"  
  
"Not listening!" Bilbo said covering his ears. "Not listening!"  
  
"Murrrrderrrrer..." Gollum grinned.  
  
"It was just a dragon!" Bilbo sobbed. "Who cares about a dragon?"  
  
"It wass merely taking a snooze, yess it was!" Gollum screamed. "And you had to dissturb it, you fat sstupid Hobbit!" Gollum help up a finger, its nail long and sharp. He stuck it in Bilbo's pendulous, sagging belly and pulled forward. Blood oozed out and Bilbo screamed in horror and pain. All Frodo could do was watch.  
  
Bilbo kicked Gollum, and Gollum let out a hiss. Bilbo tried crawling away and Gollum lay on the ground exhausted. Then Gollum's eyes caught a thin sliver of gold sticking out from Bilbo's pocket.  
  
The ring.  
  
His precious.  
  
Gollum leapt on Bilbo with a scream.  
  
"Give it to usss!" He roared. The two creatures were rolling on the ground in an intense struggle. Gollum grinned and stuck his finger in Bilbo's throat, and ripped it open.  
  
Bilbo's eyes stared in disbelief. His arms moved aimlessly before they dropped to the ground. Gollum grinned and pulled off the ring.  
  
"We has our preciouss!" It crooned and jumped up and down. "Oh happy, happy, happy!"  
  
Gollum went off into the woods dancing in delight.  
  
Frodo went up to Bilbo.  
  
"F-F-Frodo..." Bilbo gurgled. Tears welled up in Frodo's eyes. Bilbo had just killed one of Frodo's best friends, and tried to harm another. Yet, Frodo could not bear to see him suffer.  
  
"It's going to be all right." Said Frodo softly.  
  
Bilbo lifted up a hand; to caress Frodo's face, maybe to wipe away his tears. Then his face began to push inwards and his hand began to dissolve. His hair turned to fine, thin wisps. His shirt crumpled inwards. All that was left was a fine powder.  
  
Frodo began to sob silently.  
  
Gandalf came up at last, looking very weary. He had dried blood near his eyes.  
  
"Don't worry, Frodo." Said the wizard. "It's all over now. He'll finally find peace."  
  
Frodo nodded, and wiped away his tears. Gandalf put a hand over Frodo's shoulder and the two walked off into the house. Gandalf draped a cloth over Sam's face and began to get Bilbo's old items ready for auction.  
  
Frodo gazed outside the window.  
  
A strong wind came, and what was left of Bilbo blew away in the wind. Frodo turned away to help Gandalf clean up the house. 


End file.
